What NIST 800-171 Actually Is NIST Special Publication 800-171 is the U.S. government’s control catalog for how contractors must protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). CUI is the sensitive-but-unclassified data the federal government shares with vendors — technical drawings, contract-performance data, personally identifiable information, and program-specific material that isn’t secret but isn’t public. If your contract…
Why the Contract Type Matters More Than the Dollar Value Small government contractors regularly celebrate a $500,000 contract award without asking a simple question: what type of contract is it? A $500K firm-fixed-price contract with a scope you understand is a business you can plan around. A $500K time-and-materials contract with a poorly-defined statement of…
Getting Paid Is the Second-Hardest Part of Government Contracting Winning the contract is hard. Getting paid on it is a close second. The federal government does not send you an invoice or ask you to send it a bill — you have to submit invoices through a specific electronic system, in a specific format, tied…
The Real Reasons Small-Business Proposals Get Rejected You spent 200 hours on a proposal, submitted it on time, and got a “not selected” notification with a form-letter debrief. What actually happened? Most rejections fall into a small number of recurring patterns — patterns that small businesses learn the hard way and Big Six consulting shops…
The Decision That Shapes Your Federal Business Every small business entering federal contracting eventually asks the same question: should we go after prime contracts, or subcontract under a larger prime? The answer isn’t obvious, and choosing wrong wastes years. Some small businesses that should be teaming as subs waste 18 months chasing prime contracts they…
Capability statement examples that win contracts — what buyers look for and how to tailor.
Exactly what to include in a capability statement — section-by-section content list for small contractors.
Capability statement design tips — one-page rules, typography, and layout for federal buyers.
How to optimize your DSBS profile so federal buyers actually find you when they search.
SAT and micro-purchases explained — the best entry points for new federal contractors.